Uncover Persona - Chapter 15

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"They are together, and they are going to tell her."

She sighed as she read the text. This was getting out of control. She needed to get what money she could and end the deal. At the rate things were going, that good-for-nothing husband of hers was going to lose everything. She wrote back.

"Get rid of them both. We don't need them anymore."

Janice paced impatiently while she and Harold waited for the techs to find the gated community the RFID card went to.

They may have finally found a real clue that could help them find Kenton Jenkins' murderer, and it was taking hours for the techs to locate the community. Can't believe this is taking so long," Janice complained.

"Well, there are probably a hundred thousand gated communities around the country. There are at least twenty in Nashville and sixty in Atlanta," Harold said.

"It might take a little bit of time to figure out where this one goes to, or if it's even good anymore."

"We found it," one of the techs called as he rushed into the squad room. It goes to a gated community off  Woodmont."

"In Nashville?" Janice asked

"Yep," the tech said.

"Excellent," Harold said and took the sheet of paper the tech handed him with the information about the community. "Now we just need to find out who we know that owns property there."

"Already got it," the tech beamed, handing Harold several more sheets. "There are a little over a hundred units there."

Harold handed Janice some of them. "Let's go through these."

They sat down at their desks and started scouring the lists for familiar names.

Carol looked at her phone as it started vibrating. It was Damon.

The Derby had run that afternoon, and she was surprised to be hearing from him. She expected him to come home tomorrow after the last round of parties.

She wished he would have invited her to go with him. They used to go to the Kentucky Derby together and go to the parties when they first got married, but so much had changed.

She sighed and answered the phone. "Hello."

"Hey, Gorgeous," Damon said cheerfully into the phone.

Carol pulled back and looked at the number again. Yep, it was Damon's number. It sounded like Damon's voice, but then it didn't sound like him.

She said, "Are you sure you have the right number?"

He laughed, "Yes, I'm sure. Hey, I'm going to be home later. I know things have been really weird. Awful, really, but I want us to talk, really talk, about what's going on."

Carol looked at the phone again and then said, Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said. "I've finally gotten my head really clear for the first time in what seems like forever."

"Okay," Carol said hesitantly.

" I know this sounds weird and is kind of out of the blue. But, when I get home, I'll explain everything."

"Everything?" Carol asked skeptically.

"Yes, everything, I promise."

He sounded so sincere, and she wanted him to be sincere. Despite all that had happened between them, she did love him.

"Okay, about what time are you going to be here? Do you want me to have the cook fix dinner?"

"It's going to be late. You have dinner without me, but let's get out one of the really good bottles of wine I got from that winery in east Tennessee last year."

"Okay," she said. "I guess see you later then."

"Probably nine or ten," Damon said. And Carol,"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

She caught her breath. "love you too."

Damon hung up. Carol looked at her phone again.

She couldn't believe it. He hadn't told her he loved her like that in more than a year. She called Emily.

"Hi, Emily," she began. "I know you hate me right now, but I really need to talk to you. Please."

Emily was stunned that Carol called her. She couldn't imagine what she could want to talk to her about. She was still angry with Carol for having an affair with Kenton, but Carol had been a victim of Kenton's games too. She felt almost as sorry for her as she was angry. She shook her head.

"Sonja," she called as she headed toward the kitchen. "Can you make a pitcher of margaritas? You're not going to believe who is coming over."

Carol was there in less than ten minutes. She waited outside the door, looking extremely demure, an image Emily thought she would never see. She opened the door.

"Come in," she said and moved aside to allow Carol in.

"Thank you for letting me come over," Carol said. She went to the living room and sat down. noticed you still have the curtains closed to the family room."

Emily nodded, "I still can't look at the pool. Mario cleaned the whole area and covered the pool with the winter cover, but I still can't go out there."

Carol nodded understandingly, "I don't think I could still be living in the house."

"It's been hard, but until I get some things finalized, I can't really do anything else."

"Although, I don't think I'll move. I love this house, and the property probably just make some major changes."

Carol nodded again, "The police came over yesterday and wanted to talk about Damon and Junior. They wanted to know if I knew who it is, and I really don't."

"I know it's a man, but I couldn't recognize the voice. I'm afraid I may have incriminated Damon, though."

"What do you mean?"

"They had a ring, one that Damon had bought a year ago. He wanted us both to have pinky rings, he said. I'm not sure where they found that ring, but it can't be good that they have it."

"I don't want to believe that Damon killed Kenton, but was he really with you that whole night?" Emily asked.

Carol looked away. "As far as I know," Carol admitted.

"We really did have make-up sex, but when I woke up, he was asleep in his room. I know for sure he was in his room at five because I got up and went in there, and we had more make-up sex."

"I didn't pay any attention to his hands. I would assume he would have had bruises if he'd hit Kenton in the head."

Emily nodded. "They were here earlier today and found a bunch of drugs and a gun in Kenton's desk in his office upstairs."

Carol's head swung toward her. "What kind of drugs?"

"Club drugs," Emily said. "Ecstasy, cocaine, and roofies, or something like that, it's a date rape drug."

"Oh my God!" Carol exclaimed. "I know. That's what I said." Carol shook her head, "God only knows what all he was into. He lied to all of us."

Emily nodded. "I know." I am stunned by things I'm finding out daily. Thankfully he created a life insurance account that paid the house off if something happened to him. I think he had done that before we were together, though.

"All of his other money is tied up until the murder investigation gets resolved, or until the judge decides that none of his financial accounts had anything to do with his murder."

Carol reached over and took Emily's hand. Emily let her.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I was just selfish, and childish, and foolish. If you need anything, money, someone to talk to, anything, I'll be here for you." Emily patted Carol's hand. "Thank you. Hopefully, everything will be okay. Have you and Damon been working things out?"

Carol sighed. "I'm not sure. He was acting weird before he left to go to Louisville, but he called me just a little bit ago and said he would be home later."

"He apologized for everything that has happened and said that he loves me."

"That's wonderful," Emily said.

"I know. It was just weird, though," Carol said.

"He hasn't talked to me the way in at least a year, probably longer. I want to believe he's sincere." He said he would explain everything to me when he gets home.

"I'm not sure what he needs to talk to me about. I mean, I know, about him and Kenton. He knows about Kenton and me. What else is there?"

"I don't know," Emily said quietly and looked away. "Maybe he's having drug problems. "

"With the police finding all those drugs and a gun in Kenton's desk, it was almost like he had been a dealer. He might have gotten Damon mixed up with all of that." Carol asked, "Do you think that might be why he got killed?"

"I don't know, maybe. I'm sure the detectives will consider that angle now that they know about the drugs."

"That's so awful. I can't believe Kenton was doing stuff like that."

"In retrospect," Emily said. "I'm not really all that surprised."

Sonja came out with the margaritas. "Sorry, it took so long. I was having a blender problem."

"That's okay," Emily said. "Sit down and join us."

Sonja poured a tumbler of margaritas for each of them and then went back to the kitchen to get a glass for her.

"Where's Mario?" Carol asked when Sonja came back.

"He's down at the house with Fernando. They have been working in the yard all day and are watching baseball now," Sonja said, sipping her margarita. Carol took a drink of hers and sighed. "I've missed this so much. "I've missed you guys."

"Me?" Sonja asked.

"Yes," Carol smiled. "I haven't had anyone roll their eyes at me in days.

Sonja laughed.

"Well," Emily said. "After the police find Kenton's killer, things will get better. I'm still angry about you having an affair with Kenton, but we were all victims of his games."

"What are you going to do now?" Carol asked.

"I'm going to work on my gardens, and I think Mario and I are going to start dating."

"Dating?" Sonja said with a raised eyebrow.

Emily laughed. He calls it courting. But I like him a lot. He is so different from Kenton.

"It's sad, really sad that I don't miss Kenton, not even a little bit. I can't believe I had lived as I had for so long, just trying to be what he wanted me to be instead of being myself."Carol nodded, "We all make silly choices for all the wrong reasons. Maybe all of us have learned a good lesson from what's happened. Then, at least, Kenton's death won't be all in vain."

"True, "Emily said. "I'll drink to that."

She raised her glass, and Carol and Sonja touched theirs to hers.